Would You Pay Half a Million Dollars for a Dodge Viper in China?

Technically speaking, the Dodge Viper is not sold in China. But that’s technically speaking, because drivers there have purchased them. In fact, one dealership in Beijing has sold three Vipers already this year and expects to sell several more.

The exclusivity (and difficult process) comes at quite a cost, however. While Americans are paying just $85,000 for the Viper (since the price was recently dropped), drivers are paying nearly half a million dollars for a Dodge Viper in China.

Why? There are a few reasons. For one, the Beijing dealership has to import the Vipers from a Dodge dealership in California, since Dodge does not currently export Vipers to China. On top of that, the lack of availability in the country has certainly driven up the price. Perhaps the biggest factor, however, is the 60% tax that China imposes on any cars imported that have engines bigger than 4.0-liters.

And the engine is, of course, much bigger. The $480,000 Vipers being sold in China are powered by 8.4-liter V10 engines, good for 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque and mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Surprisingly, according to Car News China, the Viper is perfectly street-legal in China, even though it hasn’t been “type-approved.”

The Dodge Viper is a fantastic performance beast, but is it worth nearly half a million? That just might depend on just how much half a million is worth to you.